No objection to govt's proposal to raise LPG cap: EC

The Election Commission has granted no objection to the government's proposal for an increase in the cap of subsidised liquefied petroleum gas cylinders from six to nine in a year.

The decision was taken at a full commission meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, and communicated to the Union Cabinet, which met to take a call on the matter.

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs raised the cap on supply of subsidised LPG cylinders to nine bottles from six per year and allowed oil companies to hike diesel

prices by a 'small quantum' periodically.

The government on Wednesday written to the Commission, seeking its view on the issue of raising the cap on LPG cylinders since the Model Code of Conduct is in operation in Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura which are going to polls next month.

During the last phase of elections in Gujarat in December, the Commission had taken a serious note of the government's announcement regarding a possible raise in the number of subsidised LPG cylinders each family can have in a year.

The poll body had then asked the government against making any such announcement in future without its approval when the model code is in operation.